Fine Dining for Animagi
by Makoto Sagara
Summary: Sequel to Set Me Free - Harry's set the time for their date, and Draco must come to terms with some of his insecurities before he meets up with him.


**Title:** Fine Dining for Animagi  
**Author:** Makoto Sagara  
**Series:** Harry Potter  
**Archive**: the usual suspects (ffnet, affnet, Foreverfandom, my site, mediaminer, makochanupdates on LJ, thehexfiles, hpfandom, and the harrydraco community on LJ); anywhere else, ask first.  
**Pairing:** Draco/Harry, Ron/Hermione, Lucius/Narcissa, others  
**Rating:** R  
**Word Count:** ~4,000  
**Warnings**: Slash, ooc, angst, language, humour, EWE, animalistic frottage, some gore  
**Disclaimers:** I don't own Harry Potter and his friends. They belong to a list of people, including the wonderful JKR, Warner Bros, Scholastic Publishing, Raincoat Books, and others. I'm only borrowing them for entertainment purposes.  
**Summary: **Harry's set the time for their date, and Draco must come to terms with some of his insecurities before he meets up with him.

**Author's Notes:** I was working on _Best Served Cold—_the full sequel to Set Me Free—when the idea for this popped up. It wouldn't go away, so I've been forced to write it. *sigh* The hunt scene towards the end might be a bit much for more sensitive readers. I apologise, but you can skim through it if it's not your cup of tea.

Draco rubbed his uncharacteristically sweaty palms against the side of his robes. _It's only a lunch with Potter…Harry… Why am I so bloody nervous? It's not as if we haven't eaten together before._

_Yes, but you haven't eaten with him in _human _form,_ an annoyingly familiar voice shot back. It sounded like Pansy Parkinson. _Besides, you're such a cock-up, Draco dearest, that it will just take a few minutes before he gets fed up with you and walks away!_

Draco scowled at his reflection in the floor-length mirror before him. "Oh, don't do that, love," the mirror chirped at him. "You're such a handsome lad and that scowl makes you look so unreachable."

"What do you know? I've spent years looking this way," he muttered, trying in vain to get his hair to look less like it was styled and more natural. He wanted to go for the _just-shagged_ look that Harry wore so well, but his hair was too fine and straight to make it work well without a ton of product. And he didn't have time for product, as his _date_ with Harry was less than an hour from now.

A knock on his door caught his attention. "Come in," he called out, unsurprised to find both of his parents entering at the invitation. "Mother, Father, to what do I owe this impromptu visit?"

"Darling, you look splendid," his mother replied, taking her wand and waving it at his hair with a quick chant of _Despeinus_. "There, my love, now you may check your reflection."

He turned and was astonished to find that his fringe was sexily mussed while the back of his long hair hung in soft waves. In other words, it was _perfect_—and all without two hours with product. "You are a genius, Mother."

"I do try," she said modestly while Lucius kissed her cheek in a rare show of affection. "Now, the reason we are here is…"

"He knows why we are here, Narcissa," his father said calmly. "I just want to make sure that this is the route that you are set on, Draco. I know that you believed that you and…_Potter_…shared some sort of connection while he was helping you, but if you believe that he would take advantage of the fact that you are grateful for his previous assistance, I wish that you would reconsider…_dating_ him."

"What your father is trying to say, Draco, is that we want to make sure that you aren't just doing this as some sort of backwards hero worship of Harry Potter," Narcissa said quietly.

Draco looked at his parents for a few minutes. They were beautiful, even at their age. Since wizards aged so much slower than Muggles after they reached maturity, they still retained the beauty that Draco recalled as a child. True, his father was a little more ragged on some days due to the fact that they'd lived with the Dark Lord for a year and after that Lucius had been forced to finish his previous sentence in Azkaban and his mother had a few more wrinkles around her lovely eyes and mouth; nonetheless, those slight imperfections only made them more _real_ to him now that he was older and wiser. It wasn't just that, however, that he noticed. They looked far too much alike with their pale, icy features and regal bearings. In fact, he was the result of a faultless merger between their genetics.

They looked so cold and statue-like that no one looked beyond the surface. That _wasn't_ what Draco wanted in a partner. If that had been the case, then Astoria Greengrass would have been a flawless addition to their family circle. No, Draco wanted, _needed_ the fire and warmth of Harry Potter's dark hair, bright green eyes and easy smiles. The faults that made up Harry made him _perfect_ in Draco's estimation. Besides, the way the other man babbled when nervous was completely endearing.

"I thank you both for your concern in this regard, but I have engaged in no sort of hero worship for Harry Potter. I am having lunch with Harry, the man I am interested in," he said in a level tone.

He watched as both of his parents relaxed greatly. _They really _were_ worried that I was only interested in Potter for his status. He will be touched to find out._

"As you wish, my love," Narcissa said, placing a cool kiss to his cheek as his father squeezed his shoulder briefly. "Do bring him by for tea."

"Enjoy yourself, Draco," Lucius added before leading his wife out of Draco's room.

"Hm, curiouser and curiouser…" he said to himself before Disapparating to London.

Harry frowned as Hermione straightened his robes for the fourth time in as many minutes. "'Mione, I appreciate your help in getting ready, but do you think you could maybe relax?" he asked her gently.

"Sorry, Harry," she said sheepishly. "I know it's your date. I don't know why _I'm_ worried about it. It's just that this is the first time you've been out since…"

"…Since I came out of the closet with a bang?" he joked.

"Well, yes. Ginny refused to come over because she said that she'd be worse off than I am. I mean, we know that you're an adult and can look out for yourself. But it _is_ Malfoy, so we're both concerned for you."

"I love you both dearly," he said gently, taking her hands before she could straighten his robes _yet again._ "And I really appreciate the fact that you haven't told Ron _who_ it is that I'm seeing today, but could you perhaps stop worrying my clothes? If you don't, they'll be in tatters before I leave, and I doubt that Draco would really want to be seen out in public with me like that."

She gave him a wry smile as her cheeks flushed. "Sorry again. You'll tell me how it goes, right?"

"Every detail, if you want," he reassured her, "just so long as you don't share with Ginny and Luna. I don't think that I could deal with that when we go out to dinner next week if they knew _everything_ about what happened between Draco and me."

"Are you going to be bringing him to our weekly dinner then?" she asked. "It might be best to do so. I mean, Neville won't be an issue, but Ron would deal better if he's in a public place so he doesn't make a scene."

"I don't know yet. We'll have to see how this date goes before I consider seeing him again."

"Oh, well, yes, you're right. Do you need me to do anything else before I go?"

"No, I'm fine, 'Mione, but do you think that you could tell Rosie that I'll be over to see her afterwards? I know that she was upset that I missed our weekly lunch yesterday."

"Of course, but you might want to bring her a gift, just to be sure. She's been rather sullen since you took Malfoy away that last time. I keep telling Ron that we should get her a pet, but he's being stubborn about having a cat around the house. He was never too happy about Crookshanks, you know."

"I know, and I wonder about that, considering that monstrosity saved his life back in third year when he started chasing after Scab-Wormtail."

"Molly told me that he doesn't like cats because of something the twins did to him as a child, but George refuses to say what it was." Hermione gave him a slight smile. "Oh, and you do know that you're not to bring sweets over for my daughter, right?"

"Yes, Molly," he teased, ducking the hand she swung out right before it messed up his hair. They both burst out laughing, their earlier tension forgotten for a while.

When he'd heard about this place from a friend of his mother's, he'd scoffed at the premise. That had been three years ago. However, after he'd mastered the Animagus transformation and his time with Harry, he'd reconsidered a restaurant that catered to the more animalistic side within each witch and wizard, literally. So, when Harry had accepted his invitation for a date, Draco had hunted down Marigold Staunchbach and asked her more about it. The woman had been only _too_ happy to tell Draco about how _Fine Dining for Animagi_ worked. Evidently, one only needed a reservation and to let the maître d' how many were in your party and their forms. The staff would take care of the rest.

Purposely, he'd refrained from telling Harry about where they would be going. He wanted to see the other man's reaction to place. He, of course, had been there the night before with his mother. It had been…interesting to see Narcissa attempt to snatch frogs out of the pond they'd set up for her meal. Of course, when she'd overreached a bit and her rather large wingspan caught an artificial burst of wind, she'd nearly tipped over into the water. It was difficult to laugh as a tiger, he'd found out; however, his happy growl had scared out his prey from the bushes they'd been using as cover, making his hunt much easier. He'd also found out that venison was much tastier if you'd taken it down yourself. Not to mention that rabbit was much easier to enjoy if you didn't have a lot of fancy sauces ruining its natural rich flavour.

Draco had Apparated directly to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place to pick up Harry. When the door to the surprisingly beautiful house had opened, revealing its handsome owner, Draco's mouth had gone dry. His date was dressed in Wizarding robes that were cut to fit his lovely body exactly from his throat to his waist, where they opened to expose his expertly tailored pitch-coloured slacks and his shiny, patented leather boots. Just where the robe opened up and his trousers started, Draco could see a blindingly white shirt tucked into his waistband. He dragged his eyes up the line of Harry's body to his face to see the other man's cheeks flushed a charming shade of pink, and looking up a bit more, he found that Harry's normally tousled hair was laying surprisingly flat.

"You've had Granger help you with your hair, haven't you?" he asked huskily.

"Yes, Hermione spent about an hour with a bottle of Sleekeasy's, trying to tame the beast," Harry joked lowly. "Your hair looks nice."

"Thank you," Draco replied, holding out his arm for Harry to take. "You look _delectable_," he added, foregoing any minced words. "I hope that you enjoy where I'm taking you. Mother and I ate there last night for the first time. It was different."

"Where _are_ you taking me?" Harry asked as he took the offered arm. "I've been worried about that all week."

"It's a surprise. Mother's friend recommended it for the 'discerning Animagus.' I didn't understand what she was yammering on about until we went there last night. She was absolutely right, not that I will tell that twittering biddy about it."

"Okay," the dark-haired man said, sounding still a tiny bit concerned as he waited for Draco to Apparate them.

_I'll take it as a sign that he trusts me that he's willing to let me Apparate him to an unknown location for an indeterminable amount of time_, Draco thought happily. He waved his wand as he concentrated on the doorway outside of the restaurant. He could feel the nauseatingly annoying tug as they were pulled to their destination. Harry swayed a bit and Draco used his wand hand to steady his date by gripping his other elbow. "We're here."

Harry really hadn't known what to expect when Draco had said that he was taking him to a restaurant the week before. However, he'd been smart enough to have Hermione come over to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place to help him dress and fix his hair. It had taken a while and a lot of fussing on his friend's part and his nerves had nearly been shot by the time the blond showed up.

All the trouble was worth it for the way that Draco practically drooled all over his fancy clothes when Harry opened the front door. His normally icy, grey eyes went black as his pupils dilated, and Harry _swore_ that he could hear the blond's breathing grow ragged. It was a bit of a balm to Harry's tattered self-image to see the other man so uncharacteristically open. He'd been so flattered that he let Draco Apparate them to their destination with almost no hesitation.

However, he was rethinking his sanity as he stared at the lone, small building that sat in the middle of a large, penned-in field. "What's this?" he asked as he turned to stare at Draco, who was smirking.

"This is where we're having lunch," the blond replied.

"We're eating. In a field," Harry said sceptically. "Or is it the hut that we're headed to? The inside is a sort of Wizard-space, isn't it?"

"No, that is where the staff stays," Draco said. "According to Madam Staunchbach, they only handle up to four parties at a time. The field is separated into that many parts."

"What _happens_ here, Draco?" Harry asked as he began to become increasingly annoyed with the way the other man wasn't truly answering his questions. "I'm not going in there until you tell me."

"What happened to your sense of adventure, my brave Gryffindor?" Draco asked teasingly. Harry wanted to punch him. "Can you not just be satisfied with the knowledge that I think you will enjoy your time here and relax?"

"No," Harry replied immediately. "And I'm not afraid to go in there, but I'm not stupid either." He wrapped his arms around his chest and waited as Draco just _looked_ at him for a minute. He knew he'd won when Draco sighed and the amusement in his body seemed to drain out of him. _What is my victory going to cost me for the rest of our date?_

"In order to get the full experience, your party must be made entirely of Animagi," Draco deadpanned while looking out at the fenced-in fields. "You make a reservation with the staff, only telling them how many and what _kind_ of animal the members of your party transform into. In our case, I only told them that we were giant cats and we would need appropriate food so that we could _hunt_ them."

"You mean to tell me that this place caters exclusively to Animagi so that they can stalk their food as if they were wild animals?"

"Yes," Draco answered robotically. "That is exactly what this establishment does. I believe it has something of a specialty clientele. If you are having second thoughts, I'm sure we could find some other place on Diagon Alley or in Hogsmeade that is more to your liking."

Harry sighed, knowing that if he didn't fix this immediately, then their fledgling relationship would be over before it even began. "No, I'm sorry. I just…it's a bit of a shock that a place like this exists."

"Isn't it better for those of us who are more dangerous with our forms to be able to indulge in our wilder sides here, in a controlled area, than out in someone's cattle field?" Draco asked in a much warmer tone. "I think the proprietor of this place is some sort of wild dog. I've forgotten what exactly."

"I suppose that it _is_ better for those desires to be released in a place like this," Harry admitted, wondering at what kind of magic it took to maintain something so intricate and just how much. "You said your mother was here with you last night? How did you kept from attacking her?"

"Have you ever been around swans?" Draco asked. "They're incredibly foul-tempered and vicious. Mother's form is perfect for her—beautiful exterior with a fierce interior. The first time I attempted to go after her was when I was stuck. She nearly pecked my eyes out. There was no repeat performance."

Harry stifled a chuckle at the picture the other man's words painted. He could see very well how dangerous Narcissa Malfoy would be in her lovely swan form. "Yes, I could see how that would work out," he said lightly. "Shall we go in then?"

"One last thing," Draco said, placing a long-fingered hand on Harry's arm. "There were a few rabbits and deer here for me last night, but I requested less _tame_ prey for us. Will you hunt with me?"

Harry could feel his blood spike with adrenaline. "Oh, yes, Draco, let's go."

Watching Harry in his panther form was amazing. The other large cat was nearly a work of perfection. As Harry stalked down an American water buffalo, Draco watched the way his muscles bunched and released under his shiny black coat. The blond felt the desire to pin the other cat down and rut against his lovely form until they were both spent. It was a thrilling and disturbing thought.

They'd already taken down a bull—Draco had the gash on his left rear flank to prove it, but Harry was determined to take down the bull's cow and her calf. Harry had pinned the two bovine against a rock and the solid wall that separated their "dining area" from the rest of the field and was quickly closing in. A loud bleat signaled the calf's demise and Draco rushed forward to help Harry take down the cow.

The slow herbivore turned around and struggled to kick Harry in the head with both front hooves, but the panther jumped smoothly away. Her attempts at attacking left her right side open, allowing Draco to dash in and swipe her with his sharp claws. She cried out in pain and shuffled back until her hind quarters met the stone wall behind her. Both cats shared a primal look and darted forward, one on each side. Harry jumped up onto her back and sank his pointed teeth into her neck while Draco sliced open her side again, exposing her organs, bones, and muscles to the air.

With a defeated moo, the cow dropped to the ground and her dark eyes closed for the final time. Both cats let out roars of victory before they tore into the rich, sweet meat of fattened buffalo. The only sounds for a long time were the crunch of bones as powerful jaws snapped them with little effort and the grunts of pleasure as they dined.

When they'd eaten their fill, Draco looked up at Harry, who exposed his teeth in a show of dominance. Not to be intimidated by Potter, Draco jumped across the picked apart carcass and landed on the panther's back with a snarl as he took Harry's neck between his teeth and pressed down in warning. Potter—for all his prowess while on the hunt—rolled over and exposed his belly in a sign of Draco's victory.

Another need made itself known in Draco and he bit back a whine as his prick started to emerge. He looked down the smooth, black form under him and saw that Harry was just as excited. Lowering himself down a little, he felt the sensitive appendages touch and his whole body shook with desire. Without warning, he leaned his massive, white-striped head forward and nuzzled Harry's black-furred face as he began to frot against the panther.

To Draco's surprise, Harry's long, pale tongue snaked out to swipe the blood away from Draco's muzzle while he purred and rubbed against him.

Sadly, it was over far too quickly. The minute that he'd heard Harry's rumbling, velvet purr, the need to climax overcame him. The only thing that kept him from being embarrassed was the feeling of warm, viscous liquid splashing against his sparsely furred belly and the sleepy yawn Harry gave. If giant cats could smile, they'd both be wearing dopey grins. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

The meal had been amazing. It was the first time that Harry had actually been able to relax and enjoy the feeling of his feline body since he'd achieved his transformation nearly eight years before. However, the sex had been strange—though, not _completely_ unwelcome. His muscles were like jelly—soft and malleable—and his brain was as fuzzy as his face.

He hadn't intended to go so far on their first date, but if they'd been in their human forms, then it would have equated to Draco dry-humping him to climax. When he thought of it that way, it wasn't so bad. He was sure that similar things had happened with other gay men, but that still didn't stop him from feeling a little guilty.

Silently, Draco pulled away from him, licking his face with his sandpaper-like tongue. Amusement shone in his beautiful grey eyes as he nuzzled him and then turned towards where he knew the door to the outside world was. He remembered seeing a large pond when they'd entered and was grateful for the person who had thought of that for them. It would have been difficult to transform back into his human body, covered in the blood of his prey. With a happy mewl, Harry rolled onto his belly and pushed up with his strong legs so that he could follow after his date to clean up.

They spent a few minutes romping and splashing in the water, batting at one another and trading mock-threatening sounds and teasing licks with their tongues. When they were both clean and thoroughly soaked, they climbed out of the pond and shook their fur of the excess water. With a simultaneous nod, they changed back to their human forms. The blond looked no worse for wear, but when Harry leaned over, he could see that his hair was a mess once again. "So much for all of Hermione's hard work this morning," he said sadly.

"I prefer you this way," Draco purred, wrapping his long arms around Harry's waist. "You are naturally wild. It suits you."

Harry smiled at the blond's obvious compliment before frowning. "Draco, about what happened—"

"I didn't mean for our relationship to become physical so soon," Draco said. "I couldn't help it. I think being so close to you after sating my bloodlust was probably a bad idea."

"You don't regret it, do you?" Harry asked, hoping that he didn't sound as vulnerable as he thought he did.

"Never, but I wanted to take my time with you, Potter."

"Oh, well… We'll see how this thing goes and revisit the sex thing in the future."

"It's a good thing I'm well acquainted with wanking, Harry, or I'd be sorely disappointed with what you just said."

Harry smiled at his new…significant other. There was definitely room for their relationship to grow into something more serious. "Not for too long," Harry whispered, leaning in to give the blond a chaste kiss before walking inside the building. "Are you coming or not?"

"Didn't we just do that?" Draco teased as he took Harry's hand.

_I think that this could be good for both of us,_ Harry thought as they entered into the real world once more.

_~ Finite ~ _


End file.
